Cotton Bowl: Underestimate Michigan State at your own peril

DALLAS — Take it from a former Spartan skeptic: Underestimate Michigan State at your own peril.

It’s a lesson learned in viewing their transformation from offensive disaster to arguably the most physically punishing team in the country by the end of 2013, in the stunning feeling as they erased a 20-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Baylor in last year’s Cotton Bowl and in viewing the Spartans in person as they beat both Michigan and Ohio State on the road this season in improbable fashion.

Each time, Michigan State seemingly had no business ending up where it did. And yet, after a while, it didn’t necessarily feel like luck, either. At some point, going 36-4 over three seasons with two Big Ten titles says less about how the Spartans got there and more about who are they are.

“I think that kind of competitive grit is something that you have to have a tremendous respect for,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday, a little more than 24 hours before his team will face Michigan State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. “And you’ve got to know what you’re up against when you play against people like that.”

And even recognizing that Alabama has more pure talent, size and advantages at pretty much every position except quarterback, would it really feel like a huge surprise by now if Michigan State pulled this off?

“You’re only an underdog if you think you’re an underdog,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. “We have never played that card. We have always gone into things saying, ‘We got a chance to win a football game.’ I think that’s still the case.”

It was the case in 2013 when they ended Ohio State’s 24-game winning streak, denying the Buckeyes a shot at the national title, and it has been the case ever since. Michigan State can fool you, like earlier this season when it looked lethargic and a step slow defensively against the likes of Purdue and Rutgers. But in the second half of the season, once they started getting healthy, the Spartans did what they always do. Against the best opponents, they play like they belong.

There are two ways to look at what Michigan State is facing with Alabama.

In the SEC, the rule of thumb is that you can’t beat the Crimson Tide playing their style because, player for player, they’re simply better. Similarly built teams like LSU, Georgia and Florida have struggled badly in recent years while Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas A&M — all spread teams — have accounted for Alabama’s four SEC losses since 2012.

Though Michigan State is different because, unlike most SEC teams of recent vintage, it has an elite quarterback in Connor Cook, the program is built to play smashmouth football. Though the Spartans can throw out a variety of formations, including a spread at times, they are generally a pro-style offense and aren’t likely to go crazy with tempo.

They win by being the Big Ten’s most physical team in the trenches, but as SEC teams have found out, that’s hard to do against this particular opponent.

“Obviously they’re bigger than teams we faced,” Cook said.

On the other hand, if there’s one team in the country that won’t be afraid of a street fight with Alabama — and heck, it might even welcome it — it’s Michigan State. The Spartans will pay whatever price necessary to make this a game in the fourth quarter, which has been their comfort zone for three consecutive seasons.

“They do the things you need to do to be hard to beat,” Saban said.

During the SEC’s run of seven consecutive national titles in the BCS era, teams like Alabama would show up for a championship game having already beaten three or four of the country’s 10 best teams just to get out of its conference. Winning the national title game was often easier than what they had just faced.

That isn’t the case anymore.

Alabama may indeed be the best team in the country heading into this Playoff, but it has not beaten a team as complete or confident or well-coached as Michigan State. It is hard to imagine this core of Spartans, which has won a Rose Bowl and last year’s Cotton Bowl and survived all kinds of crazy finishes along the way, will be overwhelmed by anything about this moment — including the opponent.

“Never give up and always finish, finish, finish, finish,” Cook said. “That’s the big thing we emphasize. Go out there and finish.”

It’s just what Michigan State does. And nobody — including heavily favored Alabama — should expect anything less.